Display container



March 9, .1940. J. T. HARTNETT 2,194,425-

DISPLAY CONTAINER Filled Aug. 5, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v 7/g E/YTOR 1 I I ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 19, 1940 "1 NIT- D STATES v PATENT oFF cE 4 2,194,425 msrLAY CONTAINER 1. John .T. Hartnett, Boston Mass; ppl cation August 5, 1937. Serial No." 151,557

, g .8;Glaims. This invention r'elates to boxes, cartons, and similar containers of those'types in which small m'erchelhdisasuch' as tacks, toilet soap, and other H articles, are shipped to the retailer. For convenience such'containers will be hereinafter referred to generically as boxes.

The invention aimsv character" whichfin" addition to per foming the usual functions of a box, can also be used as a support or easel for holding the base of'the box and its contents on a store counter, or the like, in'such a position as to display the goods in an attractive manner. r I The nature of the invention'will be readily understood from the following description when read'in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims- In the drawings, "Fig'ure 1- is aperspective, view of a box embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the cover of said box Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the box shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and illustrates the manner in which it may be used to display merchandise;

Fig. 4. is a vertical, sectional view of a slightly different form of box embodying this invention; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the box shown in Fig. 5 in its original or closedcondition;

Figs. 6 and 7 are views similar to Figs. 5 and 4, respectively, showing afurther modification;

Fig. 8 is an angular view of still another embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 9 is a verticahsectional viewshowing the manner in which the box illustrated in Fig. 8

may be used.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the box there shown is made otcardbo'ard, or other equivalent sheet material, and includes abase 2 and a cover 3. These parts may be made by any suitable method. The top of the cover, however, is cut,

scored, perforated, or weakened in any other suitablemanner, along the lines indicated at a to divide the section of the cover between the lines of scoring 17 and into two parts indicated at 4 l and 5, respectively. Thelines of cut a are so made that the very small portions of the cover between adjacent cuts serve to hold the entire f cover top in the same plane during the shipment of the goods and their delivery to the retailer. These uncut portions, however, can readily be broken simply by pressing upon them and the sections 4 and can then be bentdownwardly between the lateral walls of the cover into the inclined positions illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

to devise a box of this tures of any'suitable character.

4 When the retailer wishes to display thegoods, he removes the cover 3 from the base 2, folds the parts 4 and 5 down, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and then placesthe base 2 with its contents into the seat thus formed. for it in the cover, as illustrated in the latter figure. It will be observed that in this arrangement the two'parts (i and 5 are disposed in an'inclined relationship to each other, and also at an angle to the planeof the top of the cover, where they form a V-shaped seat, the section A supporting the bottom of the base 2, while the part 5 bears against andsupports the lower'en'd of the box. i v

Thusth'e base of the bx with its contents-may be supported, without the use of parts additional 1 to those essential to the construction of the box,

4 in such a position as to display thegoods in an attractive manner. I

A display card fi may also be'usedto cover the small boxes 1 containing the tacks or other merchandise packed in the base 2, this cover forming false top andlying unde r'andreinforcing the weakened portion of the top of the cover. When the box'is opened and set up fotydisplaypurposes, the lower end of this card may he slipped into the top of the base between the end and the boxes, as shown in Fig. 3, or it maybe supported in slots out in the upperend of the base '2, this card bearing advertising matter or display fee.-

If the, box is longer in, proportion to its width, or is heavily loaded, it is preferable to support it at a somewhat lower angle, as shown in Fig. 4,

and the sections 4 and 5 are cut accordingly.

In this construction, as in that above described, the cutting is so done asto form a tongue don the section 5 which enters a notch in the other I section, and this tongue may be scored, as shown at e, to provide an end tabj which is folded under the lower corner g, Fig. 4, of the base 2.

Thus thisextension of the section? underlies the lowermost corner of the base and avoids any possibility of the base sliding under the cover, in the event that the load which it carries tends to produce this result.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 6 and '7 is like that shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 except that a lip Bis cut out of the material of the section 5 where it projects over the upper edge of that end of the inset whichis located in the seat formed by the parts l and ii and thus assists in supporting the base in its inclined position.

Still another form of the invention is shown in Figs. 8 and 9. Herethe cover H1 is scored and cut to provide sections H and 12, respectively, one cut from the top and the other from a lateral wall of the cover. The scoring is indicated by the lines l3, M and I 5. Thus these parts II and I2 can be bent downwardly, as shown in Fig. 9,,

tional parts being required to produce the results here described. It will be understood, also, that the proportions of the parts 4 and 5 will necessarily be determined by theangle at which it is desired to support the base and to some degree, also, by the weight of the merchandise car-, ried by the base. An important advantage of the invention is that when supporting the merchandise for display purposes'the box does not occupy a cover is adapted to project over the upper edge a greater area of a counter or showcase than does the box itself when in its closed condition, except in such forms as those shown in Figs. Land 9,

and even here the added area of the counter required is so slight as to be immaterial.

It should also be noted that in these various forms of the invention the angles of inclination which the inclined portions of the cover take when supporting the base in its display position, depend'upon the depth'of the cover, thelower corner of the base resting upon the counter, table, or other support on which the cover is mounted, or else upon the portion of the cover immediately underlying said edge of the base, and which itself is resting on the table or counter. Thus a solid support for a heavily loaded box isprovided.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

1. A display box comprising a base and a cover fitted thereover, the cover being cut or scored to provide two hinged portions bent downwardly be tween the lateral walls of the cover into positions slanted toward each other andinto an inclined,

relationship to the plane of the top of the cover where they form a stable support for the base in an inclined position with one of said portions bearing against and supporting onee'nd of the,

base-and the other bearing ing the bottom of the base. v

2. A box according to preceding claim 1,"in which one of said inclined portions includesa tongue and the other is provided with a notch into against and supportwhich said tongue extends prior to bending said portions into the inclined scribed. i

3. A box according which both of'said portions form top of the cover.

positions above de parts of the 4. A box according to preceding claim'l, in

which one of said portions forms apart of the top of the'cover and the other a part of a lateral i 1 wall of thecover. 5. A box according to preceding claim. 1, in which a lip forming part of the material of the of that end of said base which one of said inclined portions.

the top of the cover and one of them has a part between said end and said bottom.

.20 is 1 supportedv -on 7. A box according to preceding claim 1 m which the angle of inclination which said portions' z assume depends upon thedepth of the cover. 3

8. A display box'comprising a baseand a cover fitted thereover, the top portion of thefcoverf being provided.withftwo scored linesadaptedto function as hinges, one adjacent one end andthe'p 5. & portion of the coverbeing provided with trans-' g other adjacent theother end, the intermediate verse-lines of severancegthe distance betweenthe two lines being, with respect totthe linear dim'en sions of the body part, such as to constitute a stable support for the bottom.of the-boxlin inclined relationship to the plane of saidftop portion.

JOHN TiHARTNETTL .10 to preceding claim 1, in 

